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General Undergraduate Curriculum Requirements

Policy 

The UD GUCR program provides a comprehensive learning experience in humanities, applied sciences, 21st-century skills, and attitudes. All incoming freshmen and undergraduate transfer students must fulfill the GUCR requirements. GUCR fosters critical thinking, effective communication, problem-solving, and analytical skills aligned with the PLOs. 

1. Goals:

  1. Goals:

  1.  Enhance essential future skills and expand discipline knowledge required for the 21st Century. 

  2.  Equip students in a breadth of knowledge and skills across humanities, social and natural sciences by offering complementary courses from these fields.

  3. Enable students to be effective communicators, possess strong epistemic and quantitative reasoning skills, have technological competency, and acquire leadership skills, including sustainability and entrepreneurship. 

  4. Foster future-skill readiness and engagement with emerging technological and employment needs.

  5. Support Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) with essential knowledge and skills or count towards a second major or minor.

These goals align with the university's mission to serve diverse students, produce high-caliber graduates, provide international-standard education, create a stimulating environment, and engage in research for economic development in the MENA region.

2. Credit Hours and Mandatory Courses

General Education/University Requirements must include a minimum of 18 credit hours or equivalent, covering: 

  1. 3- CH  mandatory course in Emirati Studies for all programs.

  2. Advanced mandatory course in English for programs offered in English.

  3. Advanced mandatory course in Arabic for programs offered in Arabic. 

  4. Advanced mandatory course in the instruction language if other than English or Arabic.

  5. A specific course in innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability, unless comprehensively covered in other courses.

3. Course Offerings

The University of Dubai offers diverse potential themes in seven areas:

  1. Humanities & Arts

  2. Behavioral and Social Sciences

  3. Natural Sciences

  4. Innovative technologies and Society

  5. Health

  6. Quantitative Reasoning and critical thinking

  7. Sustainability

4. Additional Guidelines UD follows:

  1. Students should consult with academic advisors in their respective colleges regarding additional requirements and course sequencing beyond the basic GUCR. Detailed information on the GUCR can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog. Completion of the GUCR equips University of Dubai students with a strong educational foundation, enabling them to approach their specialized fields with breadth and proficiency. This preparation fosters career success and impactful contributions to society.

  2. Adheres to CAA total credit hours requirements for programs.

  3. Follows the CAA-approved curriculum for Islamic Studies as part of General Education/University Requirements. 

  4. Allows national service experience to count towards Emirati Studies and Islamic Studies through credit equivalents or Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). 

  5. Tailors General Education/University Requirements to the mission of applied nature institutions and specialized academies. 

  6. Designs General Education/University Requirements relevant to professional fields for programs of professional nature.

  7. Fulfills General Education/University Requirements through standalone courses, interdisciplinary courses, or themes within relevant courses for professional programs.

  8. Aligns General Education/University Requirements with international accreditation requirements while maintaining CAA criteria for major and degree requirements.

  9. Designs specific courses to fulfill general education requirements or allow students to choose from available courses offered by other programs or colleges.